I've been trying to "stop when I'm full" at restaurants and so far it's really not working. I don't know why I'm always compelled to finish a meal. It's actually kind of annoying. I want to do it because 1. I know restaurants over sized, are over salted, over buttered, etc. etc. and 2. Stopping when you're full is generally just good practice.

So anyway, last weekend we went to the Yard House for my "cheat meal" or whatever you want to label it and I got the Turkey Burger, no fries sub side salad. I ate half my burger, tried to stop, but was actually still hungry so I finished it. I'm under no disallusion that the burger was lo cal or anything and I know I could have ordered something else or ordered it without cheese or whatever, but part of my maintenance is moderation. For some reason I was compelled to look up the cals on that burger today, a week later mind you, and it was 1255 cals for JUST the burger!!!! Ok again, I'm really not suprised, but still...

If it's a Cheat Meal, don't look up the calories afterward.

If it's intended to be an on-plan meal, look up the calories beforehand.

Decide which one it's going to be, and stick to it. For the sake of your state of mind, not just for the calories.

Good point!

One thing that really helps me is....when your food comes....cut the burger in half and ask for a To Go box then. Once it's off your plate...bet you don't open up the box and eat the other half. With pizza...I blot it first with a napkin and cut my slice in two...then eat the first half (with a fork..takes longer!) and then go to the 2nd half. Kind of 'fools' me that I'm actually on my 2nd piece! Good luck.

Knowing ahead of time, planning, takes the stress and worry out of the meal. I enjoy it and the people I am with much more. Rarely, cannot remember when actually, I went out not knowing ahead of time.

Exactly what pvgal says, set some aside immediately. Because let's get real, there's no way we can go to a restaurant and expect to leave without
1. eating at least 1000 calories
or
2. being unhappy and still hungry
I went to red robbins today, ordered a burger without cheese, mayo etc. It was around 650 calories, steak fries were an extra 400 calories but I did really want them so I boxed half and took them home. 850 calories is the best I could do there.
I do agree with Saef about cheat meals. If it comes to that, it's fine to gorge yourself. You've earned it... as long as you're not "earning" it every week (which was a bad habit that I got into)

Lately I've been perusing the menus of restaurants before we go out to eat. I'm mainly searching to see if they have a good salad.

Has anyone had the Summer Salad at Stuft Pizza (if you have one in your area)? YUM!

This is incredibly wise.
I think sometimes we do these things to ourselves not realizing how detrimental they are to our overall well-being. Make choices and take ownership of them. If eating a 1200 calorie meal is going to make you upset then don't do it. Always look it up before hand or don't look it up at all. I think this is one of the first lessons I learned.

I also second the idea of asking for a to go container and portioning it out before you start eating. But I have found that at this point I am able to stop eating long before the plate is finished. Just pay attention to how you feel. I know that finishing a massive portion of anything makes me feel like ****, so I just don't do it. Don't do things that make you feel like ****. Seems to be a good rule to live by

Even if it's a planned cheat meal, I'll usually scan through the calorie counts on the menu before I go. I don't tell myself that I *have* to get the lowest calorie item, I just want to know. Then when it comes time to order, it's hard for me to get myself to order a meal that is 1200 calories when I know there's an option for me to get a meal that's 600 calories. If I know the numbers beforehand, I usually make a better decision. I still enjoy the lower cal option just as much, and I don't have that pesky feeling of guilt ruining my yummy meal. If I have no idea what the numbers are, I will order the cheesiest greasiest thing because hey, it's my cheat night, even though every bit of me logically knows that I'm ordering a very highly caloric meal.

So on cheat nights, I *look* at the calorie counts. I don't necessarily record them and add them all up. Binges is when I eat a lot of bad food and completely ignore calorie counts. When I don't have the numbers in my head, I completely ignore them. That means binge for me, which is no good.

As far as doggy bags go, that trick sometimes works for me. But say I order a 1200 cal meal and put half of it directly into the to-go box as soon as it's served to me. Then I have two portions of 600 cal, one can be tucked out of sight, out of mind. BUT, then I'm expected to take the other half home to eat the next day. That means I'm having a cheat meal twice in a row. I don't like to do that. I'd rather eat half of what they serve me and be done with the rest. I don't like wasting food (especially at restaurant prices), but that food is either going to end up in the trash can behind the restaurant or as fat in my body and poo in my toilet. I'm not happy with either option, but I'd rather not have fat in my body, so I'm okay with letting some of it go to waste. That said, sometimes I'll ask for a doggy bag and put half of it in there and then conveniently "forget" it at the restaurant.

When I was overweight (and still now), I had a thing about hoarding food for later. I would nibble my food that I'd ordered but save as much as possible to take home. Then I could stuff it in my face when nobody was looking. That was a terrible habit, but I actually trained myself well to leave a lot on my plate, lol. For very different reasons now.

Try getting up midway through your meal, when you're not quite sure if you're satisfied or not, and going to the bathroom to redo your makeup or something. The little break gives you time to get away from smells of food which can make you think your hungry when your not. If your still hungry when you get back to the table, keep eating.

Try to keep in mind that restaurants give huge servings compared to what you would eat at home, so it really isn't needed most of the time to clear the plate to feel satisfied. Just compare the size of a steak in a restaurant to the size you would cook at home. Restaurant steaks are normally 200-250gr - for your smaller cuts. Focus on enjoying every bite and go slow.

And maybe bring a piece of fruit in your handbag as well. It can act as desert and clean your mouth of the salty buttery taste that makes you keep on wanting to eat.

Except for work dinners, I eat out very rarely. When I do, I splurge for upscale restaurants, where portions tend to be much smaller. Small portions aren't the reason I go, though: I just don't see the point of going to an Italian family restaurant or burger joint for a special meal, because if I want pasta or burgers I can cook better versions at home for less money and typically in less time. Or, better still, get DH to cook 'em

As someone who waited tables for 10 years, I have to comment on cacaphony's idea of bringing your own dessert to a restaurant. Please don't. If you want to clean out your mouth after your meal, order coffee or tea, or ask for lemon for your water. If you want fruit for dessert, eat it when you get home. A restaurant is a business that makes its money by selling and serving food. It's not a public park with small picnic tables and nice restrooms.